Listed-corn cultivator.



No. 819,612. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906 T. H. SPARKS. LISTED GORNCULTIVATOR.

APPLIGATION TILED PBBJ. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

INVENZOR Allomey PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

T. H. SPARKS.

LISTED 001m GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IEBJ, 1906 2 SHE TSSHEBT 2.

Byy

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LISTED-CORN CULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed February 1, 1906. Serial No. 299,014.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. SPARKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at l/Vichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Listed-CornCultivators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in listed-corncultivators and the object of the invention is to produce a device ofthis character comprising a sled so arranged that the dirt may be throwninto the furrow before the sled has passed by, while the back end of therunners are so constructed as to cut into the side of the ridge andcause the dirt to be pushed toward the corn. By this construction thedirt is brought in from the bottom of the ridge, and as it comes upbeneath the leaves of the corn it has a tendency to straighten the stalkinstead of mashing it down, as is the case when dirt is thrown from thetop of the ridge, and when a sufficient quantity of dirt is thrown tocover the corn it is left in an upright position and will soon reappearabove the surface.

The invention consists, further, in a device of the character describedin which adjustable shields are provided to regulate the amount of dirtthrown, thus making the de vice positive in action and regulating thedesired amount of dirt to be thrown to the corn.

The invention consists, further, in various other details ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will behereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in theappended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a top plan view. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is abottom plan view. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section showing partsin elevation. Fig. 5 is a rear end view, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionalview.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A Adesignate the two runners, whichare similar in construction and havetheir forward ends beveled and inclined. Each of said runners is set atan angle to the other, inclining together at their lower edges, as willbe observed, with'a slight space, preferably about seven inches,intervening between the portions of the runners in advance of thecut-away or widened portions. Yokes B connect the two runners, and yokesC are also fastened to the yokes B, and their outer ends project beyondthe sides of the runners and are provided with clodcrushers D. Braces Eare fastened to said yokes carrying the clodcrushers and are alsosecured to the latter, while bracc rods E con nect the clod-crushersforwardmost of the yokes C with clod-crushers C similar to theclod-crushers D, before described, although the blades thereof aretilted at a different an gle and which clod-crushers C are mounted uponthe rearmost yoke 0. Suitable clamps 0 hold the two yokes B and Csecurely together and allow the latter to be raised or lowered to adjustto deep or shallow listing.

F F designate brace-rods which are fas tened at their forward ends tothe upper edges of the runners and'their rear ends to the rear yokes Band C, connecting the rear portions of the sled, and upon said rods aseat G is mounted, being adapted'to be held at different locationsthereon, as may be desired. To the forward portions of the runners maybe connected a tongue or other means whereby a team or horsemay beconnected thereto. Each of said runners, at a location substantially atthe longitudinal center thereof, is cut away, as'at H, allowing aconsiderable space to intervene between the rear portions of the runnersand the portion of each runner intermediate the cut-away portion, andits rear end is widened and has a turning edge I, and adjustably mountedupon the outer face of each runner is a shield J, one end J of which isoutwardly turned and set at an inclination, and the forward portion ofeach shield has transverse slots K,

through which the adjusting-screws K pass,

thereby affording means whereby the shields may be raised or lowered forthe purpose of regulating the amount of dirt to be thrown,

thus making it positive in action and throw the desired amount of dirtat all times. By the inclined and outwardly-turned portion of the shielda cutting edge is afforded, whereby weeds may be out on the surface ofthe ridge between the furrows.

Fastened to the inner face of the widened portion of each runner is asteel plate N, the rear end of each being angled and provided with slotsN, and N deslgnate screws fastened to the rear ends of the runners andpassing through said slots, thereby affording means whereby said platesmay be adjusted.

From the foregoing it will be observed that by the provision of theopening in the runners at the center thereof as the apparatus is drawnover a field dirt is allowed to come into the furrow before the sled haspassed and by the peculiar-construction of the rear ends of the runnersthe latter will cut into the side of the ridge and push the dirt towardthe corn and leave the wall of the furrow intact to guide the sled innext cultivation. By this detail dirt is brought in from the bottom ofthe ridge, and as it comes up beneath will have a tendency to straightenup the corn instead of crushing it down, as is the case when dirt isthrown from the top of the ridge, and when enough dirt is thrown tocover the corn the latter is left in upright position andwill soonappear again as the corn grows. By having the bevel cut on front end ofrunner clods are worked to side of furrow and crushed between sled andwall of furrow and not pushed in on the corn. By having the rearportions of the runners wider apart from the cut-away portions than atthe front part of the sled any obstruction coming between the runnerswill ass out and will not be dragged along an crush down the corn, and

by the provision of the runners held at angles to each other theapparatus will hold to the furrow better than would be the case if therunners were perpendicular, and as the apparatus is dragged along thefurrow with the inclined sides of the runners against the sides of thefurrow the clod-crushers will level down the surface of the ridge, andthe inclined portions of the clod-crushers will serve as weed-cutters tocut weeds along the surface of the ridge.

It will further be noted that by the construction of an appartausembodying the features enumerated an apparatus is afiorded which willthrow the dirt to the corn and leave a clean furrow, thus allowingcultivation to begin at any time and continue as often as desired untilthe corn is too high to be worked.

What I claim is 1. An apparatus for cultivating listed corn comprisingrunners which are set at angles to each other, yokes connecting saidrunners, clod-crushers secured to the projecting ends of said yokes, therear portions of the runners being cut away, allowing a wider spacebetween the runners at their rear ends than at their forward, andinclined cutting edges formed by the walls of said widened portion, asset forth.

2. An apparatus for cultivating listed corn comprising runners which areset at angles to each other, yokes connecting said runners,clod-crushers secured to the projecting ends of said yokes, the rearportions of the runners being cut away, allowing a wider space be tweenthe runners at their rear ends than at their forward, and inclinedcutting edges formed by the walls of said widened portion, adjustableshields fastened to the runners and having outwardly-turned cuttingedges opposite the widened portions of said runners, as set forth.

3. An apparatus for cultivating listed corn comprising runners which areset at angles to each other, yokes connecting said runners,clod-crushers secured to the projecting ends of said yokes, the rearportions of the runners being cut away, allowing a wider space betweenthe runners at their rear ends than at their forward, and inclinedcutting edges formed by the walls of said widened portion,

adjustable shields fastened to the runners and having outwardly-turnedcutting edges opposite the widened portions of said runners, adjustable,plates secured at their forward ends to the inner walls of the widenedportions of the runners and their opposite ends adjustably held to therear ends of the runners, as set forth.

4. An apparatus for cultivating listed corn comprising runners which areset at angles to each other, the forward ends of said runners beingbeveled, a slight space intervening between the forward ends of therunners, yokes holding the runners together, each runner having acut-away portion in the lower edge thereof, extending from substantiallythe middle portion of each runner to its rear end, each runner having awidened portion between its middle and rear end with an inclined cuttingedge adjustable shields mounted upon the outer face of each runner andhaving. outwardly-turned inclined cutting edges adjacent to and at anangle to the cutting edges of said runners, as set forth.

5. An apparatus for cultivating listed corn comprising runners which areset at angles to each other, theforward ends of said runners beingbeveled, a slight space intervening between the forward ends of therunners, yokes holding the runners together, each runner having acut-away portion in the lower edge thereof, extending from substantiallythe middle portion of each runner to its rear end, each runner having awidened portion between its middle and rear end with an inclined cuttingedge, adjustable shields mount ,ed upon the outer face of each runnerand having outwardly-turned inclined cutting edges adjacent to and at anangle to the cutting edges of said runners, adjustable plates fastenedat their inner ends to the inner face of the inclined wall of the runnerand having their rear ends angled and slotted, and adjusting-screwsfastened to the ends of the runners and extending through said slots, asset forth.

6. A listed-corn sled comprising two runners which have their forwardends beveled,

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yokes connecting said runners and holding the same at angles to eachother, with a space.

intervening between the same, portions of the lower ed es of the runnersbeing cut away the side wal s of the runners formed into inclinedcutting edges, adjustable shields mounted upon the runners and heldadjacent to said inclined cutting edges, clod-crushers mounted upon theprojecting ends of said yokes, and brace-rod connections between saidclod-crushers, as set forth.

7. A listed-corn sled comprising two runners which have their forwardends beveled, yokes connecting said runners and holding the same atangles to each other, with a space intervening between the same,portions of the lower edges of the runners being cut away the side wallsof the runners formed into inclined cutting edges, adjustable shieldsmounted upon the runners and held adjacent to said inclined cuttingedges, clod-crushers mounted upon the projecting ends of said yokes,brace-rod connections between said clod-crushers, rods secured to theupper edge of the runners and fastened to said yokes, and an adjustableseat mounted upon said rods, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. THOMAS H, SPARKS.

Witnesses:

L. S. NOFTZYER, J. M. MooRE.

